Reviews by AwYeh:

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I like finding under-rated beers... it reminds me that I follow the beat of a different drummer.
Being a California hippie in the 1970s (I was in my twenties, just to date me), I suppose nostalgia makes me like a brew started on the Mendocino Coast (a hippy hot-bed) and then uses the marijuana plant.
But nostalgia is neither a big motivator for me, nor why I like this beer.

It has an interesting history. This modest second generation brewer has gone through a few relationships (Firestone Walker being primary as their current base of operations) and now owned by a beer and wine importer. Breaking the business model of the brewpub, Humboldt has built some healthy relations in the distribution chain. (Experimenting with the business model may be as important as experimenting with recipes in the coming period when America's 3200 craft brewers have to sort themselves out.)

Oh, yes... about the beer...
I like American editions of British styles that stick more closely to the originals (largely that means, "don't go crazy with the hops".) Humboldt Brown actually reminds me of how British Browns blend the malts so the taste buds continue to salivate as the beer warms. The hops and other spicing never take over. I like being left with the taste of malt.

This beer was listed in the "1001 Beers" because of its unique owner and because of the special ingredient (the stuff that gets you high from marijuana actually is not in this beer.) Should this be on the list? Yes, because of its story and its following in what I call the "Anchor tradition" of making minor innovations from the masters instead of extreme leaps.
Let us all praise moderation.

I think this the hemp infused beer I have had,poured into a standard pint glass a mix of deep brown and amber a thinner wispy white head atop.Very light aromas I pick up a little spice and brown sugar but really not much going on,flavors are malt tilted no doubt and quite mild a hint of chocolate and roasted nuts with a lingering earthy finish with a cola quality as well.Not much complexity to the beer and very faint hops glad I tried it but to me its just a standard brown ale with a touch of "herb".

Bomber from the Berkeley bowl. Wasnt sure about this brew but when in Rome

Pours a pretty dark crimson color with ruby hues. Rapid bubbles, really wicked carbonation but almost no head. What there is of it is white.

Nose is grassy and dull. Taste is malty and nutty, walnuts I think, and reminiscent of an American Brown Ale. Mouthfeel is light because of the carbonation but surprisingly round as the beer warms and flattens.

There are no marijuana flavors to speak of and really not much of any flavor. Pretty dull beer that I will pass on in the future.

I hadn't realised this was a brown ale from passing it by on the shelf at albertsons. However it was on sale and a closer look revealed it was infact a brown ale and not the pale ale one might think of with a green cardboard cutout. So since I usually like browns I decided to try it out. Looked pretty thin, not a lot of head on the beer. Slight hempness smell though not like the weed smell you get from some green bottles- more of a foresty smell. Flavor was not good and not bad- just rather lacking. Made me wonder why they called it a brown ale. This one does go down pretty easily but that's about it, not much flavor to speak of and hardly a brown ale.

22 oz bottle courtesy of srandycarter. Many Thanks! Pours a clear, copper body with a small beige head that leaves some minimal lacing. Aroma is subtle, notes of chocolate and herbal hops. Mouthfeel is light medium with moderate carbonation. Taste is cola and chocolate with some nuttiness and restrained earthy and leafy hops. Didn't really notice any hemp character. A fine drinking brown ale here, but nothing hempy about it.

12 ounce bottle, w/o freshness info. Purchased as part of a sixer at DeCicco's in Ardsley, NY. Pours a familiarl brown ale brown, light khaki head, loose and frothy, leaves ample spotty lacing. Earthy, nutty nose. Pleasant brown, malty, nutty, more earthiness picked up. Musty light chocolate note also detected. I'm not exactly sure what Hemp smells like or tastes like so I cant comment on how much of a hemp character this beer exhibits. Balanced, drinkable, sessionable and quite pleasant brown.I'd like to try this one as the base for a marinade for chicken/pork tenderloin, cuz of the moderate sweetness and earthy notes. Nice new offering from Nectar Ales.

Received this in a really generous random box from papollo, thanks again!

Appearance- Pours a deep ruby brow with a finger and half of slightly off white head sitting on top. Dies back in short order to a minimal sheet across the top of the beer. Very small amount of lacing as well.

Smell- Very mild smelling and I have a hard time detecting a lot in this one. I picked up a little roasted coffee and malt with a small whiff of hops as well. Not a whole lot going on but doesn't smell unpleasant.

Taste- Again, very mild beer. Some roasted malt, again a little bit of coffee, some mildly bitter hops coming through again. Pleasant enough all around but nothing to really wow me.

Mouthfeel/Drinkability- Mouthfeel is nice actually and fairly substantial for the style. Carbonation is good as well. This one went down easy but gets docked a little on drinkability for being a bit boring.

Rich flavor of toasted malt, some toffee and cinnamon, hints of brown sugar, rye-like spiciness, good bitterness offsetting the malt, faint citrus flavors, finishes a bit piney, some grapefruit rind lingers. Would not know there was hemp in the recipe if not for the label.

Full and rich mouthfeel, nice and creamy. Tasty and drinkable, thanks to barleywinefiend for sharing.

Pours an amber-brown color with a half-finger off-white head. The head recedes into a wispy layer on top leaving light lacing.

Smells of sweet caramel and pale malts with a hint of nondescript fruits and herbal hops.

Tastes alright. Sweet caramel/pale malt flavors up front are joined by herbal hop flavors midway through the sip. There's a light bitter ending with some medium fruit flavors lingering in the aftertaste. Nothing bad here but nothing really good either.

Mouthfeel is alright. It has a slightly thin thickness with above average carbonation.

Drinkability is good. I finished my glass without a problem and wouldn't be averse to having another.

Overall this is a middle of the road beer that certainly has nothing disagreeable about it, but I'm not sure I would order this again.

A- This beer has a deep reddish-brown body that is crystal clear with a strong soda-pop carbonation of fast, big bubbles. The head is a light yellowish-white mousse that turns to a thin even layer floating on top but clinging to the sides.

S- A soft note of brown malt comes through with a note of sweetness.

T- This beer has a smooth brown malt body with some chocolate notes and a dry pale malt hint. The finish has a soft noble hop bitterness but there is no hops aroma of flavor other than the bitterness. There is a slight tangy flavor in the malt that is almost cidery but it is a bit more dry . This might be from the hemp or it might be a slight off flavor.

M- This beer has a medium mouthfeel with a slight fullness in the texture that is not quite a creamy texture but has some presents.

D- The malt characteristic has some good depth and flavor but the hop component were singular in flavor. It was interesting as a novelty but with a bit more enhancing it has potential to be a good beer.